the_boogievefandomcom-20200213-history
T-Bone and the Big Times
T-Bone and the Big Times is a novel published by b.d. bush in 2016 Overview ''T-Bone and the Big Times ''tells the story of T-Bone Biggers, a quiet, unassuming young man from Flat Rock, KY (pop. 1,475) who may just become the next big thing in country music, thanks to folks suddenly flocking to Flat Rock to see the Miracle Sticky Bun. He is helped in his endeavors by his friends in the TDA (Three Dogs' Ass) Band and other assorted friends and family. Along his way T-Bone must overcome his father's temperamental nature and the family feud with Charles Smalley. Characters T-Bone Biggers: A quiet, unassuming young man from Flat Rock, KY. Born Timothy Hank William Biggers, he acquired the nickname of T-Bone through a drunken slip of Bill's tongue. T-Bone doesn't really have much direction until fate leads to his becoming singer of a country band. Bill Biggers: T-Bone's father. Often loud and rude, also often drunk, but shows a softer side when dealing with Lizzie White, whom he pledged to watch over when her husband died in Vietnam. Among other things, Bill inadvertently names the TDA Band. Sissy Biggers: T-Bone's younger sister. Still in high school, she has a part-time job as a waitress at Aunt Martha's Diner. Claude Biggers: T-Bone's grandfather. Sort of a voice of reason within the family. Charles Smalley: Bill's cousin. Close as children, they grow apart as they get older due to Charles' buy-in to the racist teachings of the Sons of God's Gory and the Indivisible Empire while Bill learns that what they are doing isn't right. Charles declares a feud between the Smalley and Biggers clans when he feels that Bill chooses his black friend, Buck White, over him when they are in Vietnam. Estelle Smalley: Charles' wife. She tries to run a strict and proper household and objects to the bigotryy that Charles has tried to imprint upon their sons. Junior Smalley: One of Charles Smalley's twin sons; the elder of the two. He and his brother often bully, or at least try to, T-Bone and Sissy in the name of the feud. Bubba Smalley: One of Charles Smalley's twin sons; the younger of the two. Bubba is a nickname; his given name is Charles Smalley III, owing to Charles' lack of understanding of generational suffixes. Dud Smalley: Charles and Estelle's youngest son. Different than his brothers, Dud is articulate and artistic. He has a passing friendship with T-Bone and perhaps more with Sissy, despite the feud. Dutch Smalley: Charles' father. A fairly terrible human being. King Rummy: Media bigwig in the region, King is the owner of KTEN TV and Radio. He prides himself on discovering new talent and makes T-Bone and the TDA Band his pet project. Cotton Rummy: King Rummy's father, the founder of the KTEN outlets. Stringean Polk: Owner of the local supermarket, Stringbean Polk is a little bit of an intellectual and spouter of homespun wisdom. He is the TDA Band's initial manager and piano player. Martha Baker: Owner of the local Diner (and boarding house), she is Aunt Martha to all. She is also the object of Stringbean's and King Rummy's affections. Pee-Wee Addlepate: Stringbean's mildly autistic nephew, a musical savant. T-Bone is one of the few people that Pee-Wee responds too. He becomes a multi-instrumentalist in the TDA Band due to his ability to pick up any instrument and learn it in a matter of minutes or hours. Flash Perkins: A local musician, has done a bit of session work in Nashville. Becomes the lead guitarist in the TDA Band. The best musician of the group. Johnnie Ray Jackson: Bass player in the TDA Band, Johnnie Ray is superstitious and something of a conspiracy theorist. Has a colorful family history. Bill characterizes him as "crazy as a shithouse mouse". Boomer Hawkins: Drummer in the TDA Band. Boomer had been a promising baseball player in High School, but injuries curtailed that career prospect. He now drives in demolition derbies in his spare time. Ty White: T-Bone's best friend. Ty is Buck White's son, and Bill has sworn to watch over him as his own. Plays pedal steel in the TDA Band, often drawing surprised remarks that black people don't play pedal steel. Buck White: A Flat Rock resident whose family young Bill and Charles harassed (well, tried to) as wannabe members of the SGGIE. Bill late made amends when he and Buck were thrown together in Vietnam, leading to the feud with Charles. Lizzie White: Buck's wife, Ty's mom. Bill looks after her in keeping with a promise he made to Buck, but there is something in the way he goes about it that makes both Bill and Lizzie wonder why he behaves in the manner he does. Mayzie White: Buck's mother, and right-hand woman to Aunt Martha. Mayzie's most important duty is the baking of the Boarding House's renowned Sticky Buns. Samuel White Katie Slacker Jasper Lee Slacker The SGGIE Plot Summary